BayWalk's Bill Edwards Should Be Commended, Not Criticized, for Political Contribution

The Petersburg Times editorial board went after developer and local music impresario for contributing $5,000 to the campaign of Bob Kersteen, which the Times interprets as an attempt to "buy control of a seat on the City Council."

Hardly.

Actually, Edwards should be saluted for taking the upcoming City Council races more seriously than almost anyone else in town, save the candidates themselves.

In fact, I've documented how the cost of holding St. Pete's municipal elections is more than double what all the candidates have raised to run in them.  Yet the Times almost takes pride in the fact that, as its editorial states, "even well-financed City Council candidates often raise far less than $50,000."

Fifty thousand dollars to communicate to 250,000 residents in two elections (a primary and a general)?  That budget would barely keep the lights on for a serious campaign.

All of us involved in these elections should be embarrassed at the scant attention paid to them.

And rather than criticizing Bill Edwards for putting his money where his mouth is, we should be asking why other interests involved in city affairs aren't more invested.